Driving it for the first time...

[rsnik]

I bought a 7013S from a car lot late last fall. I suspect it was owned by a gentleman who had passed. It had that odd combination of money heavily spent while ignoring obvious issues. The engine looks and runs like recently rebuilt and the starter/generator is obviously spanking new. The rear end of the tractor and the deck required some sorting out. I made some blunders and had some do-it-again issues but, finally, the tractor is 100% solid, good-to-go. I have 27K of lawn that is brutal for mowing. Veggie gardens, lots of fruit trees and lots of steep topography and tight areas. So I took the 7013S, finally, totally tight and solid, and went at it, for hours, for the first time today. I have never been more impressed or enjoyed driving a tractor as much.

[firefoxz1]

Nothing more pleasing than enjoying the benefits of hard labor8D:D. Hope it last for another 30 years now.

[HubbardRA]

I love my shuttle tranny when mowing around trees and flower beds. I like it even better than a hydro for this type mowing. I know you took my advice on the hut, now I am glad to see that the shuttle also worked out for you. Even ole Roy is using a shuttle, after I gave him some parts to get it working right. They are nice when they are right, but a pain when they are not.

[Roy]

"Even ole Roy is using a shuttle," But not for mowing!!!! Too much of a PITA for mowing. :(

[rsnik]

I think the stripes the deck leaves make the lawn look real good. I went with straight, parallel stripes out front yesterday. Well, if I turn around and cut the next stripe, I blow clippings onto the last stripe. But with the shuttle, you can back up real quick right straight back and cut another perfect stripe from one edge to the other with no clippings or turn marks. Plus seeing someone driving a tractor backwards at high speed astounds the neighbors. They want to know just what end of the tractor is really the front and which is the back.

[HubbardRA]

Jonathan, I tried the 48 inch mower on my shuttle when I first put it together and it has not gone back on the hydro since. For my small lawn, with all the things to mow around, I like the shuttle much better. If you look at the Spring Fling pictures, my shuttle is the orange one with the large turf tires on the rear, and my hydro is the black and teal tractor. They both got to do around 9 hours of riding on a trailer that weekend.